5 times Kurama Surprises Yusuke and the 1 Time Yusuke Turns the Tables
by KrimsonKitsu
Summary: No matter how long you know someone, they will always find a way to to surprise you. Just a quick (ish) series of one shots that delves into the interactions between our favorite fox and delinquent-turned-Spirit detective. Can be read as friendship or as a soft pairing. Rated T just to be safe for some dark themes ahead... and because it's Yusuke, there's going to be some swearing.
1. The Intercession

((Author's note: Hope you all enjoy. I've always found Kurama and Yusuke's interactions some of the most entertaining in the series and one that deserves attention. For me it's also the one that's hardest to pin down and so this little series came to be. I hope you all enjoy it as much I enjoyed writing it.))

They sat apart, Kurama leaning against the crates, nursing an injury that would have killed Yusuke with a smile on his face. At first, Yusuke doesn't notice, can't notice anything other than Keiko. The adrenaline in his veins feels like acid and even he can't mask the trembling in his fingers as he pours what Kurama assures him is the cure over that hideous eye that is desperately struggling to take over his closest friend. It is only when he sees the damned thing disappear and sees her face finally relax into a more natural sleep that he sits back. The reality that he'd come out of his first mission is still settling in, and Yusuke can feel the euphoria of the thought washing over him, masking the aches and pain that he knows will come back with a vengeance. But for now… for now he feels pretty damned good. He beat them, he really beat them! Yusuke had been fighting all of his life, but nothing prepared him for this week. But he did it! His eyes open, wanting to gloat to Botan who had seemed all too certain she was going to be carting his ghost around by the end of it.

But instead of Botan, it's Kurama's eyes that he locks onto. The fox is silent, but it appears more out of respect for Yusuke and Keiko than any real pain. He's still pale and an ever so slight sheen of sweat is forming over his brow, but his expression is still perfectly composed, his eyes carrying some sort of meaning that Yusuke can't quite suss out. Not that he's surprised, not once in the past week did he feel like he ever got a good handle on what the red-head was thinking. Kurama had seemed honest enough—at least he'd given Yusuke no reason to believe he was outright lying—but Yusuke still got the niggling feeling that there was far more lurking under the surface of those mild-mannered eyes. Because no matter what expression he wore, Kurama was still a demon, and Yusuke seriously doubted that he'd survived as long as he claimed by being nice.

Something in his thoughts must have leaked to his expression because Kurama leans a little more against the crates, a strange new look passing over his face. His smile widens just slightly and there's a new gleam in his eye, and suddenly he looks like a predator, laying in wait with his prey in sight. Yusuke can't help but shiver. He realizes, the euphoria retreating, that he could never have won against Kurama. He has no idea how a being like that fights, and the thought disturbs him. Yusuke has never come across anyone that he couldn't size up. One of the most amazing things about a fight is that you really get a glimpse into the most basic nature of your opponent. There's no time to keep up a façade when you're on the ropes and that's partially why Yusuke loves it so, the realness of it. But Kurama? Something told Yusuke that he could fight the demon for a century and never figure him out… and besides, he had a feeling he'd never get that chance—Kurama's eyes tell him that he would be cut down in an instant.

And Yusuke believes it.

Then the moment has passed and that predatory gleam is gone so quickly that Yusuke can almost believe that he'd imagined it.

Almost.

Later, he's escorting Kurama back to his house, and Kurama is assuring him that he really doesn't need a baby sitter and really he could have managed just fine without Yusuke lending him some clothes. And Yusuke retorts that he would have made a scene tramping through the city in a bloodied uniform and Kurama just gives him an indulgent smile and they continue to walk side by side. Kurama certainly doesn't act like someone who'd just been impaled hours earlier; he still carries himself with more dignity than Yusuke had ever mustered in his life. But Yusuke can still see that he's hurting, can see by the stiffness in his movements that he's just trying to get home where he can recover far from prying eyes.

"Can I ask you a question?" He asks and Kurama's smile widens as though he had been expecting this conversation.

"I'm an open book, Yusuke." Yusuke bites back a snort at that, he seriously doubts that Kurama's ever been forthcoming a day in his life.

"Why'd you get involved?"

Kurama ponders that for a moment, somehow looking refined despite being clad in a pair of khaki shorts and a plaid shirt that Yusuke had lent him. It was an important question—Kurama had warned him about Hiei, had offered insight into his personality. But then he also warned Yusuke that he could not get involved any further. While he disapproved of Hiei's plan, they had been partners and Kurama couldn't betray them and the look in his eyes had been enough for Yusuke to leave it at that.

"I suppose I changed my mind." Kurama glances at him and Yusuke could tell the fox caught the seething look Yusuke had sent him. He sighs and shrugs. "It may sound like a simple answer, but it's true."

"So what did it?" Yusuke prompts, and it's clear he's not going to let the subject drop. "Decided your old partner wasn't worth letting the city burn?"

Kurama looks up, and his face is bathed in last amber rays being cast off by the setting sun. And once again Yusuke is confused by what he finds reflected in those green eyes.

"It's nothing so grand as that," he replies softly, turning back to him.

"Then what?"

"I like you." Kurama pauses, and he laughs softly at the look on Yusuke's face. "Perhaps I should rephrase—you intrigue me Yusuke. Your actions appear erratic and based on nothing but emotion. I have never met anyone, human or demon, that is so honest to themselves in every action they take. It takes a great deal of courage to live in such a manner. I'll admit, that when I thought about Hiei killing you, there was a sadness that I wouldn't get to see what comes of such a life. And so… I interceded. Besides, I owed you one grand sacrificing gesture and I do not like being in anyone's debt."

"As simple as that?"

"As simple as that." Kurama smiles and Yusuke fights not to roll his eyes. He seriously doubts that Kurama's motives were anything but simple.

They don't talk the rest of the way.


	2. On Strategies and Reasons to act

((Author's note: Part 2! Amazing what procrastination leads to… But anyway, I find myself so intrigued by Kurama's motives as he insisted on stepping into the ring first during their third round… I hope you all like my thoughts regarding the topic!))

~x~

Yusuke is on his feet, his lungs aching as he screams, demanding for more air. But there's no time for that.

Because for the first time in a long time, Yusuke feels so helpless. The two in the ring don't even acknowledge him, don't notice him. Kurama only has eyes for his opponent, determined to find some way to pull out a second win, determined not to let his team down.

Except Yusuke could care less about the team, about this whole damned tournament. This is his friend, one of the few people who saw more in Yusuke than another blunt instrument. Who was perfectly willing to sit through his questions about demons and strategies and was willing to sacrifice late night hours sparing with him so that he could put that information to the test. How can anyone expect him to just sit a mere 30 yards away and watch as his friend is filleted? It was one thing to watch a fight—Yusuke's seen Kurama in action plenty of times and, though he'd been injured before, Yusuke never doubted his victory. In fact, Yusuke had begun to wonder if anything could overwhelm the redhead, who always seems one step ahead, who has a contingency for everything.

But Kurama hits the ring with a cry that echoes through Yusuke's head like a gunshot. There is no plan here, Yusuke can see that much. Kurama's hurt and there's just so much blood that Yusuke can't tell if he'd been hit anywhere vital. He doesn't think so, but as he watches Kurama stubbornly climb to his feet, visibly shaking from the effort, he realizes that it doesn't really matter. He's powerless against Touya and Touya is not one to give his opponents a chance to regroup. Yusuke feels a panic forming and every part of him screams for Kurama to just stay down, dammit! Kurama's supposed to be smart, the calculating pragmatist, how can't he see how stupid all this posturing was? What does it matter if he manages to pull out a win if he ends up dying to do it?

But of course Kurama doesn't listen, and he's so close to the edge of the ring and Yusuke's tempted to just drag him out of the damned thing. He'd already stood by while Kuwabara got demolished by Ichigaki's puppets, indeed it was only their resistance to their orders that saved the idiot's life. And Yusuke just can't stand by again as another friend gets shredded in the name of this tournament.

Kurama glances back to him and his expression freezes, no doubt guessing what Yusuke intends to do. "Let me do this, Yusuke." He says in that same reassuring voice as always, as if he isn't asking Yusuke to just sit back and watch him die. And it's too damned much. And Yusuke's about to shout exactly that at him, because Kurama's clearly suffering from blood loss or something, to ask such a stupid request. But there's something in Kurama's eyes that stops him and before Yusuke can stop himself, he nods. And Kurama smiles like Yusuke has given him some great gift instead of signed his friggin' death warrant.

And Yusuke pays dearly for his consent. He doesn't remember much about what happened after Bakken stepped into the ring. But he remembers the rage, building with each punch, each blow to the lifeless body of his teammate. He'd gone through so much of his life alone and now, however unconventional they were, somehow Yusuke had friends. Except that now one is lying broken outside the ring and another isn't fighting an opponent so much as he is fighting to keep alive. And dammit all, he wasn't about to let Kurama lose that fight.

It was only afterwards, only as he's walking away from what he could barely consider a fight with Bakken, walking towards the spot where he'd deposited Kurama's limp body that the weight of it sinks in. Sure, this isn't the first time Yusuke's risked everything for the fox, but it wasn't the same. He'd grabbed the Forlorn Hope without thinking, just as he'd pushed that kid out of traffic. He hadn't thought of anything back then, couldn't be bothered with the consequences until after the fact. But now? Now he'd nearly brought the entire arena down on his team, not because he didn't consider the consequences, but because they didn't matter.

Kurama doesn't learn about that fact until later that night and Yusuke can tell that he's more than a little irritated over the idea.

"Yusuke do you have any idea what you would have done?" He asks, somehow still looking imposing despite being propped up by pillows, bandages snaking over his entire body.

"Yeah. I would have toppled this whole dirty island." Yusuke is unapologetic and the fact that Kurama seems to think he should be just irritates him more. "Come on, any idiot could see this whole damned thing was designed to bring us all down."

"I know." And Yusuke's next retort dies in his throat. Kurama is silent, sizing him up, waiting for Yusuke to connect the dots. It doesn't take long.

"So you knew they were going to pull that shit?"

"From the instant they announced the next round. Cheaters rarely content themselves with a single ruse. And it was in the Boards best interest to remove us as soon as possible."

And Yusuke feels like he's in another match, and Kurama is just keeping him on the ropes.

"Wait, hang on. So you walked into that ring…" Yusuke's words die in his throat as Kurama just offers him a prim smile. And Yusuke can't help but smack him in the back of his stupid, self-sacrificing head of his. "You idiot! Why didn't you tell me?! Why'd you volunteer to go first?!"

Kurama rubs the assaulted spot with a wince. "It was the only way to determine just how far their scheme went—"

"Bull shit." Kurama looks surprised, and Yusuke figures it's not often that anyone calls him on his lies. "I'm not some master strategist, but wouldn't the better move be to let me go first, so you could figure out what their plan was and come up with something to counter it? You don't send your queen out to do the work of a pawn."

There is a pause, and Yusuke can't figure out if Kurama's just surprised that Yusuke came up with level of insight or if he's just shocked that he made a chess analogy. Yusuke prays he doesn't ask about the chess because he really really doesn't want to relive any bit of Genkai's lessons. But finally Kurama's face breaks out into a wide smile.

"And Hiei thought you were a hopeless student…" He murmurs, and Yusuke can tell that comment was meant more for Kurama than himself. "You're right, of course. The better strategy would have been to send you out first."

"So then why did you volunteer?" Now Yusuke has gained the upper hand and he's not about to let Kurama get away so easily. He expects some answer about protecting him, about some noble speech about sacrificing for the greater good. But Kurama gives him neither.

"It was for pride," Kurama says, his mangled limbs resting calmly in his lap. And Yusuke just stares at him, sure he'd heard that wrong.

"What do you mean pride?"

"I knew they had a scheme against us, and I was certainly not going to allow the machinations of mere humans to cow me." He smiles and Yusuke catches that familiar glint in his gaze. "I wanted to show them that I would not cower from such obvious tactic. More so… I wanted to prove that I didn't need to."

Yusuke isn't sure what to say to that, but suddenly Kurama's words back in the ring makes more sense to him. Why he was so determined to see the fight through to the end. It's hard for Yusuke to remember sometimes, because the Kurama sitting in front of him is the only version he'd ever known, but he knows that hasn't always been the case. And though he's never asked details and Kurama's certainly never offered any, he's gleaned enough to know that whatever Kurama was in a past life, he was certainly something to be feared. And he wonders how that must feel, to be reduced to a shadow of what he once was—even if that shadow is still pretty damned terrifying.

"I don't think you have anything to prove." He finally says lamely, even though he knows that he wasn't the one Kurama was trying to prove anything to.

"You flatter me," is the only response Yusuke gets and it's the only one he expects to give. He gets up to leave.

"Oh, and Yusuke?" Kurama's tone sounds innocent enough, which is enough to send shivers down Yusuke's spine.

"Yeah?"

"Since you're so interested in chess, perhaps we should play sometime. You can provide me with more of your enlightened insights."

Yusuke leaves just as fast as his legs will take him and he swears he can hear the fox laughing behind him.

~x~

((Not much to add here, other than chess lessons with Genkai sounds terrifying and that Kurama has a very twisted sense of humor... Part 3 will be up soon!


	3. The Cave

Author's notes: Kurama makes a decision that sends both himself and Yusuke reeling. *spoilers for Chapter Black Saga

Sorry all, this ones definitely the darkest chapter I'll be writing for this series. Amanuma's fight was one of the darker ones in my mind, both due to Sensui's manipulations and the way Kurama acted in response. Even now, the death of a child is rarely shown in shows, and definitely not at the hand of a protagonist. Ever since then I've wanted to explore the weight of that decision and what it signified. I swear the rest won't be so depressing so bear with me!

xXx

A part of Yusuke never quite believed it. He's heard the stories of course… Not from Kurama, himself, not since that night on the hospital roof. He never talks about his past life in Makai and Yusuke kind of gets the feeling that he probably shouldn't pry. Besides, he's gleaned enough to get the gist… which is more than enough to make him think twice about ever crossing his teammate. And he kind of figures if that many demons whisper the name "Yoko Kurama" with that mix of reverence and fear, it's probably best not to find out the particulars.

Besides, it doesn't matter. Yusuke knows better than most what it means to be judged for past mistakes, and he refuses to do the same to others. Who the hell cares what you've done in the past, it's what you do next that matters. And that demon, the fearsome King of Thieves? That's not the Kurama he knows. He's seen glimpses of course, that ruthless pragmatism that holds nothing, not even the fox's own life sacred. But he's also seen Kurama extend mercy to his enemies, been at the receiving end of that mercy himself. (He knows that full well now. If he'd been foolish enough to challenge Kurama back when they were still enemies, he would have been eviscerated.) And it's hard sometimes to look at that warm smile, those patient eyes, and remember that the demon standing before him was once feared throughout Makai. And while his brain can hold onto the stories, the hints at a darkness that Yusuke can't even imagine, he can't quite bring himself to believe them. It feels too far removed, tales of a demon that no longer exists.

It is in the cave, with the threat of Makai cascading into their peaceful lives like a tidal wave, that Yusuke finally believes the stories.

They don't seem so removed any more.

He watches Kurama, the same demon who bared his soul to an enemy rather than cut him down, tear apart the psyche of a child. And at first he wonders if Kurama gets just how twisted that is. After all, when you've lived for thousands of years, can you really distinguish the few measly ones that separate a boy, incapable of understanding the full consequences, from an enemy that must be cut down? Hell, from that point of view, Yusuke, himself, is an infant.

Except this is Kurama and he knows exactly what he's doing. When the redhead speaks up again, Yusuke can hear it, buried deep under that perfectly composed voice of his. There's a tangible pain in his voice as he speaks, carefully spelling out Sensui's tortuous plan to the boy. He can hear the disgust too, can hear the venom infused into Sensui's name as he connects the dots for the boy. It's a brutal picture and it clearly rocks Amanuma to the core. It shakes Yusuke too; it's one thing to fight. It's another thing entirely when the other party isn't aware that he's fighting for his life.

"Sensui thinks he's beaten us. That we will be trapped here, until time runs out and the barrier is broken, rather than kill the boy," Genkai murmurs, and it makes perfect sense. After all, they're the good guys, and the good guys don't mow down 12-year olds… Right? Genkai seems to disagree, says there's no other choice, and Yusuke'd probably agree with her in any other case. If it had been anyone else up there on that podium, there would only be those two choices. But this is Kurama. He always has a way out. He's just teaching the kid a lesson.

Kurama's lessons can come at a price—Yusuke has enough experience sparring against him to know that—but Kurama never crosses that line. He knows exactly how long to hold your hand to the fire, never long enough to burn, but long enough so that you think twice about reaching for it again. He'll find a way to break out of this, because he's their strategist, their ace in the hole, and because he's facing off with a damned kid, and Yusuke knows that he won't let the boy pay the ultimate price just for being lonely enough to fall prey to Sensui's schemes. Kurama would find a way.

But the minutes tick cruelly away and the winds have shifted. Yusuke can see the boy trembling, hand gripping the joystick in desperation, knuckles shining white like bone. Amanuma's already lost the mental battle and he knows it. There's no coming back from this, no way to focus on the game—even when it's the only thing that can save his life. Another three rows are piled up, and Kurama's cleared most of his screen. And it's clear to everyone who's going to win, none more so than Amanuma. The boy's arrogant smile is gone now. He's pleading, actually crying to Kurama to spare his life, and Yusuke feels the bile rise in his throat. Yusuke wants to throw in the towel, because how could they live with this kind of victory? There's always another round, there's more time to figure out the loophole in the system. There's always a loophole. Kurama had been the one to tell him that. They just haven't found it yet-

The buzzer echoes through the utterly silent room, so cartoonishly gaudy that it is hard to believe it's Amanuma's death knell. Yusuke hears the body fall, head cracking against the stone of the cave with a sickeningly hollow thud. But he doesn't look , can't look at the body. His eyes are locked on Kurama's form. Yusuke watches as Kurama's hands lower slowly, purposefully, before coming to rest at his sides. He doesn't turn back to face the group, which is probably good, because Yusuke doesn't know what he's supposed to do now. He doesn't want to blame Kurama, logically; he knows that his friend had no choice. One child versus the safety of the human world? What else was Kurama supposed to do? It was the rational choice, the necessary choice… but not the human choice.

It's there, in that cave that it finally sinks in. All the whispers, all the stories, hell even seeing the fox in his former glory, nothing hit so close to home as this moment. No matter what Kurama is now, how hard he's worked to put his past life behind him, the fact remains—he is a demon, and the centuries of cruelty, of ruthlessness do not wash away so easily.

It's still silent. Even in his corner, Hiei has sat up, eyeing the redhead, waiting for him to act. But he doesn't. Doesn't move, doesn't speak, doesn't look at the results of his victory. Yusuke doesn't either. He takes a few tentative steps towards the fox, the one that he so arrogantly assumed he'd known just a few minutes earlier. A few more steps and Yusuke's at his side and now that he's there, realizing that he had no idea what to do next. All the platitudes sound so cheap and Yusuke's pretty sure he doesn't have the conviction to make them convincing: You had to act… Nothing else to be done…

And so he does the only thing he can think of. "Hey, Kurama?" There's no response, Kurama just stares at the ground, his face hidden under a curtain of hair and Yusuke is almost certain that he can see Kurama's hands shake. He clears his throat and steps closer. "Hey, man… are you okay?"

Kurama doesn't reply, but he looks up and Yusuke catches sight of what Kurama was trying so desperately to hide. He'd never seen such rage on that face, never seen those green eyes darkened by such hatred. Yusuke steps back, ashamed for intruding and, yes, a little afraid. Kurama doesn't spare him another glance, his fingers curling into fists as he starts off.

"We don't have much time," he says in clipped tones that Yusuke doesn't recognize. No one dares to speak, they just follow him into the darkness, finally leaving that damned room behind them.

Except they don't. Yusuke's pretty sure they never will, because there are just certain things that will never leave you, that you can't forget. And he feels sick at the thought, because he can't look at Kurama without seeing the kid they left to rot, his game still beside him. But he can't seem to avoid looking at him either. Kurama is still silent, eyes glittering in the dim light, a muted fury simmering just under the surface. And it's not just about Amanuma, Yusuke realizes that suddenly.

There had been no loophole, no way out of this without doing the unthinkable. If they didn't act, their families, their friends, likely even they themselves would have been killed by the demons that poured through. But even knowing that, even knowing the consequences of failure, Yusuke still isn't sure if he could have made that kind of choice, wasn't sure if he could live with himself in the aftermath. And Kurama knows that, he has seen just as many of Yusuke's struggles, must have gleaned how Yusuke views the world. And rather than force Yusuke to make a decision, Kurama simply made the decision for him. And looking at him now, it's obvious that he hates that decision. And he hates Sensui for forcing the burden on him, and he hates Amanuma for being so naïve… but most of all, he hates himself for seeing it through. He hates how easily he had carried it out—how simple it had been to take the life. He hates himself for proving Sensui right in his assertion that even "good men" were capable of unspeakable actions.

Because the real battle had been between Sensui and Kurama, Yusuke realizes suddenly. He had wanted to prove that there is no "better nature." That no morals were completely sacred… and he had. No matter what happens next, Kurama lost today. And Yusuke wants to comfort him, but he doesn't know what to say to this Kurama, this stranger walking beside him.

And now Yusuke finally knows why he was so feared in Makai, and why he didn't want to talk about it. And Yusuke finally believes the stories.

…He just wishes he didn't…


	4. The Haircut

Author's notes: After his battle with Sensui, Yusuke is struggling to come to terms with his new reality.

Man... these just keep getting longer and longer don't they? This one turned out darker than I had intended, but I feel like it's a pretty heavy hitting subject. Everything they know has been turned on its head and I feel like it's one of those times that calls for a level of honesty that ordinarily wouldn't be used. So here's my rambling attempt. I hope you like it!

xXx

It is quiet.

They sit in Kurama's room and the fox assures him that they'll have complete privacy there. And the others are all too happy to leave the mess of sorting Yusuke out to the fox; they're tired, exhausted by the emotional and physical toll this latest mission has wrought on them. Yusuke's relieved, he doesn't want to discuss the details, doesn't understand what all happened and doesn't have the energy to try and explain the particulars. He feels bad, having to call on Kurama to clean him up once again, though the fox doesn't seem to mind. Yusuke tells him that it's no big deal, that he'll figure something out and Kurama really should be resting up with everyone else and Kurama just laughs and pushes him back into the chair, threatening to tie him down the next time he tries to escape. And Yusuke believes him.

And so here they are, Yusuke sitting on Kurama's desk chair leaning his head on the back of it as the redhead sets out on the near impossible task of tackling his hair with nothing but a pair of scissors and near infinite patience. Kurama's fingers thread through Yusuke's hair, separating each section, snipping through the mass of hair with practiced ease. He grins, when Yusuke asks him how he knows how to do this so well, and Yusuke can figure out the rest on his own. He rests his chin back on the pillow of his arms and mutters something about vain foxes and Kurama only laughs and tosses another chunk of pitch-black hair into the growing pile. They fall back into silence, with only the snip of scissors and the sound of cicadas and passing traffic filtering in through the open window. It's a warm night, but Yusuke can't bring himself to ask Kurama to close the window, because the scents of the city are just so familiar and Yusuke could really use some familiar right now. (And he thinks that maybe Kurama knows it.) He looks back to Kurama every so often and is relieved to see his teammate is more interested in navigating through the tangled web of hair than keeping up a conversation.

Yusuke really appreciates the quiet, needs the quiet. So much has happened and none of it feels real and his brain is still spinning, grasping at anything that will make sense of the past twenty-four hours. He keeps looking at his hands, thinking that they'll look like his again, that this whole thing was just a surreal dream. But they don't, they're the hands of a stranger, of a demon. And he still doesn't hear his heartbeat. That's the part that bothers him the most. Funny… he never thought about it much, but now, he actually misses it, craves that reassuring thrum in his chest. How in the hell is he supposed to get used to all of this? Is he really still himself when nothing about him remains the way it was?

He doesn't realize he's shaking until he feels Kurama's hand rest on his shoulder, his fingers chilled in comparison to the heat radiating from Yusuke's skin. Yusuke looks down at those fingers, as though he hasn't ever seen them before. And he hasn't, not like this. Because, Kurama suddenly feels… frail. His body is like porcelain compared to Yusuke's. It's a startling revelation. Kurama has been a steady presence in his life, ever since they first crossed paths. Yusuke's brow furrows slightly, realizing for the first time that he had perhaps taken the fox's continued presence as fact. After all, the redhead had been alive long before Yusuke, and would continue to be so long after Yusuke was gone. Or so he had always believed.

Not any more. Yusuke realizes with a start. He looks back at Kurama blankly, brain too far gone to register the look of concern the other sends his way. Kurama is pale, exhausted from his part in the battle. His energy is faint, a mere flicker compared to blaze that had shone so brightly in Makai, and his body is sluggish. He hides it well of course, never one to call attention to any signs of his own weakness, but Yusuke's known him too long not to catch on. He moves slowly, each move carefully considered to minimize excess movement. As he kneels beside Yusuke, the detective can see the tightening in his jaw, the twinge in his eye. Even that simple show of concern costs the fox dearly.

Yusuke finally meets his gaze, perhaps for the first time since Amanuma's death. And though the boy had been revived, there is still the tiniest bit of uncertainty as Yusuke locks onto to those familiar jade-colored eyes, looking for some trace of the cruelty, the rage, he'd seen back in those caves. Part of him wants to dismiss it, to write the whole thing off as another part of this crazy waking dream. But it's not so easy. He'd seen something terrifying in Kurama back there, something he never thought he'd see in his friend. Of course, Kurama's seen something pretty terrible in him too. The shaking is back as Yusuke's mind drifts towards that terrifying presence, how powerless he was against it, and he wonders-

"Are you with me?" Kurama asks, his soothing voice cutting through. And Yusuke looks up at him, blinking slowly, trying to answer that question. Trying to figure out how Kurama could look at him as their shared universe hadn't been shaken to the core.

"Ah, yeah… was just thinking," he says, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, got a lot going on up there, just trying to keep up, y'know?" Kurama nods and Yusuke catches the sympathetic look the fox sends his way. He smiles humorlessly and leans against his desk, setting down the scissors with slow deliberation. Looks like they are going to have that talk after all.

"I think we're all trying to wrap our heads around it," Kurama replies softly, his fingers reaching out and threading through a wayward piece of Yusuke's hair. "I knew from the day that I met you that you were a surprising person… I just never realized how much of an understatement that would be until now."

"Doesn't it scare you?" Yusuke blurts out, somehow irritated that Kurama has accepted this reality that had been sprung on them with such grace. Kurama is silent for a moment, eying him thoughtfully. "How can you be so calm about all of this? Because it scares the holy hell outta me."

"Because it doesn't matter, Yusuke." Kurama replies suddenly and Yusuke can't help but notice the steel in his tone. "I don't care what form you take, what you are now. Because you're here—" He pauses and shakes his head suddenly, something like revelation lighting up his expression. He looks back to Yusuke, his eyes wide. "You really don't know, do you?"

"Don't know what?" Yusuke asks, wondering what oh-so-obvious observation Kurama was about to spell out to him. Kurama is still and Yusuke hates when he's still, because it usually means that he's trying to find the most delicate way to say something very unpleasant. That silence has never boded well for Yusuke.

"We didn't go to Makai to fight Sensui, Yusuke," he says softly, an unfamiliar look in his eyes. "We went there to die."

Yusuke doesn't understand it at first, can't make sense of those words. Kurama just sits there, eying him thoughtfully and Yusuke can't tell if the fox is joking. "…What? But…" He laughs and shakes his head, sure that the punch line is coming. "Die? Don't be stupid. You're too smart to die like that and Kuwabara's a stubborn bastard. Not to mention Hiei… yeah you guys were on the ropes, but you would have come up with something, you always do—"

"You really don't get it, do you?" Kurama replies, the first stirrings of anger filtering into his gaze. "Yusuke… we didn't want to." Kurama's voice is low, and Yusuke can tell he's painfully serious. He turns away from Yusuke, looking out of the window. "You are… you have no idea."

"Then maybe you can enlighten me!" Yusuke retorts, irritation flaring. Because he thought more of his friends, of Kurama. He thought when the chips were down, the three of them they would find some solution he hadn't thought off, they'd pull off some victory he couldn't have come up with on his own. "Because I'm lost. You guys didn't strike me as the suicidal types. Or cowards. Why would you throw in the towel?!"

Kurama doesn't stir, doesn't rise to Yusuke's taunts. And that really pisses Yusuke off, because how can the fox just tell him something like that and still be so damned calm about the whole thing? He wants to get back to his feet, to break something. But Kurama's hand still rests on Yusuke's shoulder, keeping Yusuke in place.

"Yusuke, you don't realize the power you possess," Kurama says slowly. "The pull you have on people… you draw them together, Yusuke. Individuals who… have had… little else in their lives to live for. Hiei, Kuwabara, even myself, you inspire us to be something greater than ourselves. Why do you think we defer to you?"

"You call what Hiei does deference?" Yusuke snorts, more out of diversion than anything, because he needs a moment to take that in. Kuwabara, he can understand; they'd been competing against each other for years now, seeking out the other's respect because it was probably the only respect delinquents like them would likely ever get. But Hiei? Kurama? These were demons, fearsome demons. Hell, Kurama had once been the scourge of Makai, his name still sends shivers down the spine of most demons. What could they need from him?

"He trusts you," Kurama explains, something wistful the way he looks at Yusuke. "In a way that he has never trusted anyone else before."

"He trusts you," Yusuke returns, because he's starting to wonder if Kurama is as observant as everyone thinks, because anyone with working eyes can see that.

"Hiei trusts me because he had no choice." A disbelieving scoff from Yusuke and Kurama actually rolls his eyes. "There are very few demons of note who live in Ningenkai. Fewer still, willing to team up to reach a common goal. We became partners out of necessity."

"Well, in case you forgot, Hiei didn't exactly ask to get partnered with me—"

"He could have said no. Most demons would have," Kurama interrupts him with a faint smile. "The mission was a tall order to begin with, and to be paired with two human boys of dubious power… most would have simply taken their sentence and been done with it. Better than to die on a fool's errand."

"So… you're saying…"

"Hiei chose to throw in his lot with yours, as did Kuwabara, they are loyal to you, in a way that they have never been loyal to anyone else in their lives. Yusuke, your fate is ours, I thought you understood that by now." There is a weight in his voice and Yusuke catches a hint of the centuries that lay behind those eyes as they gaze at him. "We're a team, now, and we either all come out of a fight… or none of us do. It doesn't matter how you came out of it. All that matters is that you did. I don't care what you look like now, or whether or not your heart beats." He rests a hand on Yusuke's chest, never flinching, never pulling away from Yusuke's now stilled heart. "You came out of it. Which meant we could as well. It's as simple as that, Yusuke." He pauses before adding. "It's not your blood that determines who you are Yusuke. You are still the same foolish boy who arrogantly challenged three demons he knew nothing about. You're same boy who saved the life of the very thief he'd been charged to bring down. These marks, this hair, doesn't change any of that."

Yusuke doesn't have a response to that, and they sit in silence for a moment, with the cicadas and the passing cars and the lingering heat of the day. And without another word, Kurama's hand slips away and he grunts softly as he stands up. And the haircut continues as though nothing had happened. But with one change.

Yusuke can't help but smile, feeling the comforting thread of fingers through his hair and knowing that their owners didn't fear him. And Yusuke doesn't fear the fox either. And for the first time since he had first laid eyes on Sensui, everything was okay. Everything was going to be okay. He looks up at the ceiling, mind drifting over their conversation.

"Hey, Kurama?" He says suddenly, his mind finally latching onto a moment that had slipped by him earlier.

"Yes, Yusuke?" Comes the patient reply as another sizable chunk of hair parts company with Yusuke's head.

"Earlier. You said that Hiei and Kuwabara had thrown in their lots with mine, that I had earned their loyalty..."

"Indeed, I did."

"So what about you? Did I win yours?"

There is another long pause. Yusuke ventures a look back towards the redhead and the fox is staring at him with open surprise, the scissors hanging limply from his fingers. Finally his expression softens into a fond smile and he laughs, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I thought I'd made that obvious a long time ago, Yusuke."


	5. Decisions

Author's notes: Yusuke wants to find out exactly what was going through Kurama's head during his fight with Shigure. What he learns about Kurama's choices forces him to evaluate his own. And Kurama has one last bit of advice for the former Detective... but will Yusuke want to hear it?

**random side note: was I the only one who watched Kurama's fight with Shigure and thought "NO ****ING WAY!"?

Anyway, enjoy.

xXx

"You gave up."

The tone doesn't sound accusatory, but it doesn't have to. The look Kurama gives him tells Yusuke the message was received loud and clear. The fox actually has the nerve to look confused, as if he doesn't understand what he'd done to deserve the irritation Yusuke's currently directing his way. Below them, the next fight is going on, the crowd reaching their newest crescendo. Yusuke doesn't know who's fighting, but it doesn't matter. He's engaged in his own kind of battle now.

"I gave up?" Kurama repeats, mulling over the words as though they are nothing more than an interesting thought exercise. "I don't really see how you came to that conclusion, Yusuke. I won that fight." He leans back against his chair, finally done bandaging the gashes on his arms, his stomach, his legs. The adrenaline of battle is seeping away, and Kurama looks worn now, a sickly grey to his skin. It bothers Yusuke that he's seen that coloring all too often on the redhead.

"Yeah, you won." Yusuke retorts, the bitterness seeping into his voice. "Because you got lucky."

"Luck has nothing to do with it—"

"Oh, don't give me that shit! You were lucky that you just happened to be in a place where you planted those seeds a couple of centuries ago! What would you have done if that fight had been somewhere else? Or have you seeded all of Makai?" There's a brief moment where Kurama just smiles and Yusuke actually wonders if that scenario wasn't so far-fetched after all.

"Don't be ridiculous," Kurama finally replies dismissively. "That's not possible, Yusuke."

"So then, how—" Kurama just looks at him blandly, patiently. Yusuke just stares at him, wondering just what it was that he was missing.

"It was a bluff." Kurama says this as though it's the most obvious thing in the world, and he's just sitting there, arms resting casually over his gashed abdomen. He could have just as easily been discussing the weather for all the emotion on his face. And it took Yusuke a minute to process that.

"What was?" Yusuke asks blankly, because even after all this time, trying to talk to the fox is like putting his brain through a juicer.

"The roots," Kurama amends, a look of pity in his eyes as he clarifies. (Yusuke hates that look sometimes.) "I seeded the field in the beginning of the match, in the guise of dodging Shigure's attacks."

"Then why say you set them up centuries before?"

Kurama just shakes his head, clearly amused by Yusuke's naiveté. "A battle is mental, just as it is physical. I wanted it to him believe that no matter what he did, I would always have a countermeasure in place. I wanted him to believe that no amount of foresight he had would compare to mine. He might momentarily gain the upper hand, but I wanted him to believe unequivocally, that I would win the war."

"So, what? You let him slice you up on purpose? And that trick with Yoko?" Yusuke's brain is running wild now, wondering just how far that ruse went, how dedicated Kurama had been to selling his deception. As much as it infuriates him to think that the redhead purposely let himself get injured, there is a part of him that feels the tiniest bit relieved. Because if Kurama had been in complete control, then he was never in real danger of dying. But that relief doesn't last long, because Kurama is shaking his head, a grim smile on his pale lips.

"No. Shigure was strong. He very well should have killed me… had I not transformed into Yoko when I did, he almost certainly would have. I used those seeds as a last resort. So that if I had to, I had a way to win… or at least go out in style. I was lucky that he bought into my deception. His mind was beaten long before his body. But it could have easily gone the other way. There was no guarantee that I would survive summoning such ancient plants." Yusuke deflates at that, wondering how Kurama can talk so calmly about his own death, because just the thought of losing the fox sets Yusuke's teeth on edge.

"So then… what made you shift back? You had him on the run as Yoko, Shigure didn't stand a chance compared to that form. Wouldn't it have been smarter? Less of a gamble?"

"It wouldn't have been me, Yusuke." Kurama murmurs, and his eyes aren't on Yusuke anymore. His gaze seems to turn inwards, towards some internal struggle that Yusuke can only guess at. "Do you remember your final fight with Sensui?"

Yusuke stiffens, because they don't talk about that. Never. It had become something painful for the both of them, the victory that had been so entangled in grief and confusion and bitterness that neither could bear to revisit it, not even in their memories. Never once, since their conversation in Kurama's room had either mentioned Sensui's name. There's just too much unresolved, and neither liked to focus on the unsolvable. Kurama sees the look in Yusuke's eyes and nods, he doesn't need Yusuke to answer.

"You told me once that you hadn't won that fight, because you weren't in control when you fired the fatal blow." Kurama's mouth twists slightly, but he continues on with only the barest pause. "I am not that demon anymore, Yusuke…. Yoko... The King of Thieves… That isn't me, that isn't what I choose to be. And to continue to rely on an old legend, it is an insult to everything that I have worked for. An insult to those who put their faith in Shuichi."

"Your mother you mean."

"My mother, yes, " Kurama nods with a wave of his hand, Yusuke clearly missed the point again. "And, you." He smiles faintly. "You've always trusted me, Yusuke. Relied on me." He rests his hand on his chest, smile fading. "You would not have trusted Yoko, Yusuke. In all likelihood, you wouldn't have had the chance."

"Oh." Yusuke falls quiet, taking in his words thoughtfully. Because he kind of gets it, is perhaps the only one who would. But still. "So… you're never going to revert back to that form? But isn't that crazy? Like… It's not like you have some crazy old man that's taking you over. It's still you in there… maybe a scarier version… but it's still you. And yet, you're willing to forget about all of that? Let go of all of that power. For what?"

"Do you remember what it's like, when you fully transformed?" Kurama asked softly, and his eyes are back on Yusuke, locked on to him. Yusuke shifts uncomfortably because it feels like he's just so transparent when the fox looks at him like that. "That power, that ambition, that hunger… it's a drug. I was addicted to that feeling, and I never cared what I had to do, who I had to sacrifice, so long as I could continue to feed that addiction." He smiles wanly at Yusuke. "I could never look past it. Not as Yoko. It was only during my time in the human world that I understood the truth. And suddenly my centuries spent in Makai were empty. All of that work, all of that fame and power, I've never felt more complete than I had as a human. And I am not willing to risk losing all that I've gained, not to that old addiction."

Yusuke doesn't have anything to say to that, because he's not sure he can sympathize. He misses the Keiko, he misses Kuwabara, he misses his mother, but he can't deny that he had felt far more free, more authentic here. He doesn't miss the tedium of the human world, the routine of it and there are times when he really can't help but wonder if he really would return once his three years are up. And Yusuke realizes that the thought of staying indefinitely isn't such a terribly upsetting one. Yusuke can't help but wonder if Kurama caught the look of guilt that passed over his face, because he leans forward, resting his hand on Yusuke's knee.

"Don't misunderstand my intentions in telling you this, Yusuke."  
He says softly. "You and I are both in a rather unique position of picking the world we choose to live in. I chose a human life. But that doesn't mean you have to, Yusuke." Yusuke blinks, looking at the hand on his knee in confusion.

"Wait… you aren't going to give a whole guilt trip about abandoning everything I love and so on?"

Kurama just shakes his head, a knowing smile on his lips. "You never listen to my lectures anyway, Yusuke."

"I guess you have a point. Never stopped you from trying, though." Yusuke snorts.

Kurama laughs and they fall silent. Each thinking about what lay ahead of them, what choices they had yet to make.

"Yusuke?"

"Mmm?"

"I am not going to tell you to go back, you know."

"I know."

"It's not my place."

"I know."

Kurama finally settles back into his chair, eyes casting off to the horizon. Yusuke knows he wants to say something else, and eventually he just gets tired of waiting.

"Come on, man. You know you want to say something else, 'your place' or not."

Kurama closes his eyes and chuckles softly. "Very well, Yusuke," he says with a shrug. But when he turns his eyes to Yusuke, any mirth is gone. He's not sure he's ever seen Kurama look so serious, not when those eyes are directed at him. "It's difficult, deciding who you truly are, who you want to be. And if you decide that all of this," he gestures vaguely. "If you decide that this is who you are, do your loved ones a favor."

"What?"

"Don't go to them out of a misplaced sense of responsibility. It is better to walk away entirely than remain where your heart isn't. They'll know Yusuke, you aren't that good of an actor."

Yusuke feels his jaw twitch. "So, you're saying to just forget about them?"

"I'm saying that nothing is more painful that to know that the one you cherish so dearly would rather be elsewhere. It is painful to know that you are little more than a shackle to their eyes. So. Whatever you choose. Make sure that it is for the right reasons. If you don't want your human life, let those in it move on with their's."

Yusuke doesn't have to ask what he means by that. Kurama turns away, somehow looking older than he had just moments before, and for the first time, Yusuke realizes the weight of that decision on his shoulders. And he wonders if he'll have the strength to make the right decision when his time comes.

And he wonders what the right decision even is.


End file.
